Features

Here we show you how to record and edit audio and MIDI performances on your PC.

Using recording software for the first time needn't be a daunting experience. Follow these steps and they'll soon become second nature. We have used Mackie Tracktion (reviewed in What's New: Software, Shopper November 2007) for this tutorial, but the process is similar for any music-production software.

1 Assign your hardware The first time you use your software, you'll need to tell it what audio and MIDI inputs and outputs you want it to address. Most software presents these options in a Preferences or Settings dialog box, and Tracktion uses a Settings tab. The first subheading, marked audio, presents a drop-down list of audio drivers. Pick the ASIO driver that relates to your audio interface. By default, only the first stereo inputs and outputs are enabled, so activate as many as you plan to use. If you're recording a stereo source, it's best to record it as a single stereo file rather than two independent mono files. To do this, select an input and tick the box labelled 'Treat as stereo channel pair' to link it with the input directly below it. Click the Midi subheading and activate any MIDI inputs and outputs you want to use.

2 Create a folder for your files PC-based music production involves creating lots of discrete audio files that are brought together inside your music-production software, which creates its own files, too. Keeping these files neatly arranged in folders makes it easier to back up and archive projects. Tracktion (and most other music software) asks you to create a project folder as soon as you start a new project. If you have more than one internal hard disk, select the one that doesn't hold your Windows installation.

3 Set the tempo and create a click track Double-click the name of your project as it appears in the Edits folder to open it (in other software, it should already be open). If you want to record to a click, activate the click track by typing C. Adjust the tempo and time signature display by clicking on them (they are located just above the transport controls) and inserting values in the Properties panel that appears. If the music includes tempo or time signature changes, program these into your project by inserting changes at specific bars with the buttons in the properties panels, or by drawing directly on to the Global track. Don't forget to include a spare bar or two at the beginning to use as a count-in. If you want to record to something more substantial than a click - or if you are producing mostly electronic music with just the occasional live instrument - then go straight to Steps 11 and 12 to start working with samples and MIDI instruments.

4 Create tracks and assign inputs Create audio tracks (lanes on the main recording panel) by typing Ctrl-T. You'll need one for each microphone or line input, although stereo pairs can share an input. In some software, such as Cubase, you'll need to specify whether a track is mono or stereo as you create it, but most other software works this out automatically. Click on the track titles and rename them in the Properties panel to denote the instrument they will be recording. Click the arrow to the left of each track and select an input for it to record.

5 Plug in your microphones Connect the microphones and other sources to the inputs on your audio interface. Switch on phantom power for the microphones that need it (you will find that dynamic microphones don't, but condenser microphones do). Phantom power switches are often grouped in pairs (as here), fours or eights. If you're using a mixture of condenser and dynamic microphones, you can supply phantom power to both types without doing the dynamic mics any harm, as long as they have a balanced output.

6 Set the input levels Click on the R button for each input to prepare or 'arm' it for recording. Its settings and a large level meter will appear in the Properties panel. Ask the performer to play the instrument at the loudest volume they'll be performing at. Set the volume control - a hardware knob or fader on your audio interface, or a virtual one in its software mixer utility - so the level meter peaks at between -12dB and -6dB. You must keep this level well below 0dB (full volume), because performers usually play and sing louder once they get going in earnest. Once you have set the levels, don't touch them for the rest of the recording session (unless you have to lower them to avoid distortion), as this will make it easier to splice different takes together.

7 Create a headphone mix Performers need to hear themselves, other instruments and the click track, and they need headphones to do so without the sound leaking into the microphones. In Tracktion, arming each track for recording also sends it to the software's audio output, but we want to monitor the inputs directly rather than through the software to avoid latency. In Tracktion, select an input to view its Properties panel and deactivate the Enable end-to-end button to turn off monitoring through the software. Locate your audio interface's playback mixer to monitor the inputs directly. This mixer works independently of the levels being recorded to the hard disk, so you can adjust each input without affecting the recording.

8 Record a take Do a test recording to make sure everything is working properly. Check each track is recording what it's meant to be, and that no tracks are distorting or recording silence. If your PC is in the same room as the performer, this will probably be your first chance to gauge how well the microphones are positioned, so use the test recording to consider whether it's worth moving any of them. Once everything is exactly as you want it, make sure your performers are warmed up, in tune and comfortable, then hit the record button and record a few takes. If you're recording an ensemble or drum kit, record different takes one after the other. For overdubs (instruments recorded to other, pre-recorded material), record multiple takes on different tracks, muting tracks using the M buttons on the right as you record to new ones.

9 Splice takes together When you have a handful of takes to choose from, you'll probably find that different ones are better at different points, or you might have one great performance except for the odd mistake. To compile different performances that were recorded one after another on the arrange window, locate the point at which you want to switch takes and split the recording by selecting all the tracks (drag the mouse while holding the Alt key) and typing /. If you have recorded to a click track or other sounds that follow the project's tempo, the snap-to-grid function will help you find the downbeat. If not, type Q to disable snapping and zoom right in to view the waveform. Drums are particularly handy for identifying downbeats. Drag and drop sections to compile the takes you want, using snapping to keep things in time if your recording follows the project's tempo, or by zooming in and lining up by eye and ear if it doesn't. If the join sounds untidy, create a quick crossfade just before the downbeat. To do this in Tracktion, drag the second take slightly to the left using the arrows in the top-left corner of the audio objects. This extends the start point without altering the timing of the recording. Select each object in turn and type X to crossfade across the length of the overlap.

10 Compile the best overdub takes Splicing together overdubs, such as vocals, is slightly different. The various takes should already be in time with each other, as they were recorded to the same backing track. To compile the best bits, split the performances into manageable chunks using the / key. Select all the blocks and type Shift and the '-' (hyphen) key to mute them, then un-mute blocks one by one to audition them and build up your ideal performance. Once you're done, discard the unused takes (using Save then Save As to create a copy first in case you change your mind later). Drag the remaining blocks on to a single track, holding down Shift as you do so to ensure that their timings aren't altered. You may need to overlap and crossfade blocks, as described above.

11 Add samples Sample loop libraries provide a quick way to fill out a recording. You can customise them by chopping them up, or make your own using a stereo editor such as Audacity. Import an audio file using Tracktion's built-in browser, which is available by clicking the button at the top-left of the screen. When you import audio files into the project, the software will ask whether you want to copy the source file to your project directory. It's worth doing so to keep all the files in one place for easy archive and backup. Samples with the necessary metadata will automatically lock to the project's tempo. For a sample that doesn't, select it and click the loop properties tab in the Properties panel. Specify how many beats long the sample is (usually four, eight or 16) and activate the auto tempo button. On the sample itself, click the L button to loop it, drag its right edge to extend its length and move the white loop marker so it repeats in time with your track.

12 Use virtual instruments To record using virtual instrument plug-ins and a MIDI keyboard, type Ctrl-T to create a new track, drag the New filter button at the top-right of the screen and drop it at the left end of the chain of objects at the right of the track. A list of installed plug-ins will appear, with the virtual instruments ending with (synth). Choose one and load a preset using the instrument's interface. Back in Tracktion's main window, select your MIDI keyboard as the input for the track, click the R button to activate it and the record button to record. Double-clicking a MIDI recording reveals a MIDI editor, where you can create, delete and move individual notes.